Rewrote the last paragraph of Chapter 8 Check it out. Or else be confused.

Sarah would have slept well into the next day, she might have slept all the day through, if not for two things.  Her stomach wrapping itself about her spine for one and the insistent tugging of her hair.  Cracking one eye open she soon allowed the other to join it as she looked to her younger brother.  "Sar-wa!"  He cheered, releasing the brunette strands and gave her a hug around her neck with his chubby arms.  Laughing she returned the affection, for maybe the first time in his life she gave him a true hug.  Standing she kept her arms around him and twirled in a circle.  All the while Toby would shout her name over and over to the world.  Five minutes later she was dressed, brushed, and had tended to Toby.  Descending the stairs she entered the kitchen, meeting gazes with the second woman her father had wed.

"So you're finally up."  She stated, Sarah could tell the woman was unhappy about her return.  "Do the dishes, I have errands to run."

"Sar-wa!"  Toby crowed bouncing joyfully in said girls arms. 

"How long has he been speaking?"  She questioned just loud enough to be heard over the exuberant boy.  It was a chore and a half getting him into his high chair as she finished.  "What else can he say?"

"Over two months."  Karen snapped after replenishing her lipstick.  "All he says is your name."  Sarah didn't have to see the older woman's face to know the jealous/angered look that graced Karen's expression.

"It makes sense in a way I guess."  Sarah mused, speaking out loud for the soul purpose of pissing the older woman off.  "I was after all the one with him nearly all the time, every night and most of the weekends."  Karen's nostrils flared and she glared a fire at the younger girl.  "I'll make dinner."  She knew the woman wouldn't be back until mealtime, so she offered what would have been ordered of her.  She knew it like she knew her father was at work.  The world could end at noon tomorrow and he would still go to work that morning.  Turning to Toby she smiled.  "Toby hungry?" 

"Ya!"  He cheered banging his small hands on his toddler table chair.  With half an eye on Toby she prepared their breakfasts.  Saving the kitchen for last she attacked each room and made them sparkle.  She was right, she was the reason why the house was clean.  Washing windows, vacuumed floors, picked up Toby's room and did both hers and his laundry.  Karen could handle her own things and so could her father; she did draw the line there.  After having stuffed the last load into the dryer she opened the door that lead to her back yard. 

"Merlin!"  Soon she was pinned to the ground by the giant sheep dog, face being assaulted by his love filled kisses.  AS she had thought he had not been cared for other than feeding the poor dear.  "Come on boy!  Bath!"  For once in her life the dog beat her to her bathroom.  Normally he traveled as slowly as possible.  Not this time.  Lifting Toby she shut her door as she readied to bathe the creature she had grown to find as an eternal source of comfort over the years.  Leaving a few toys for her brother to play with she set to work at cleaning the hound who she estimated was carrying more dirt than some potted plants.  Within the hour she was soon trying to brush the tangles out and dry the beast with her blow dryer.  Toby was even assisting, trying to brush the fur that was Merlin's tail, getting more than one mouthful in the process.  She had been completely soaked while in the task she had conquered.  She was struggling to pull the wet mop that was her shirt over her head when she heard the familiar, and all too unwelcome, voice.

"Do continue Sarah."  In one movement her shirt was pulled from her head and she was looking to him through her tussled hair.  Forcing herself not to cover her chest she tried to show that his presence wasn't bothering her so much.  The gooseflesh she was sporting wasn't helping much.  She was only too grateful that her bra was black, therefore non-see-through when damp.

"Don't you ever knock?"  She snapped angrily.  Toby fell silent at her tone and Merlin let out a low growl towards the sudden intruder.  If his Sarah was angry he was sure that the person making her angry was bad.  Besides he smelled funny. 

Turning Sarah searched for a shirt from the messy depths of her dresser.  Just as her hand found a shirt hidden beneath her plethora of jeans she felt his arm wrap around her waist.  Her heart rose to her throat and lurched as she felt his gloved hand run across the hooks of her bra. 

"Who did this?"  He hissed.  It was then that she noticed he was trailing the mark of a scar she had acquired in her youth.

"Let go."  She choked out, fighting against his grip in what she knew to be a futile gesture.  Half dressed and in the arms of a Goblin King was bad, especially when the said king was attracted to you.  His grip only tightened, pulling her closer to him rather then getting her away from him.  "An accident!"  He cut her off before she could explain any more.

"An accident."  He scorned.  "Sarah this is a scar, a deep one at that."  Turn about being fair play she interrupted him.

"I was thrown from a horse and into a barbed wire fence, it spooked due to a rattler."  Anger lending her the lack of sense to be brave she added.  "Honestly, its none of your business."  Ripping herself free of his loosened grip she turned to glare at him.  Breaking their gazes only long enough to to pull whatever top she had in her hand on, looking to it she nearly grinned, it was so fitting.

'Not even if you were the last boy on earth.'

Hoping that if she ignored him long enough he would leave she lifted her brother to her arms and scratched the still growling Merlin behind the ears.  He had been growling when Jareth had grabbed her and she could see by the muffled state of the rug that the Fae had used magic to keep the sheep dog in his spot.  Bouncing the wailing boy in her arms she tried to sooth the frightened angel, pulling open her door she descended the stairs in a fluid movement that many worked hours to achieve.  It came naturally to her.  'Damn me and my natural grace.  What my ballet instructor would do to me if she knew that Karen had made me quit.  Waste of time my ass.'  Setting Toby in his high chair she attacked the pile of dirty dishes that had piled up she soon filled the dishwasher and dish drainer.  The presence of royalty standing not far behind her was ignored, as well as one can ignore a powerful Fae that you were in all truth afraid of.  She did not want to know why he was so enamored with her.  'Probably because he has nothing better to do and that I embarrassed him by doing so well in the labyrinth or something.'  She thought, wiping the counters of crumbs and drink.  Karen couldn't cook and was a slob in the kitchen.  Her family knew almost every home delivery take out service phone number by heart.

Not really a cliffhanger but it's a chapter is it?  Well we can all safely say that Jareth is protective of Sarah.  What do you all think?  Review.  I'll have Jareth's P.O.V in the next chapter.

~BUM~